This is not a laugh line for Anderson. It’s his way of driving home a very serious message: It’s dangerous to be clueless in cyberspace.

In hearings before the U.S. Senate’s subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, chaired by Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, experts revealed that we protect ourselves from about 80 percent of the cyber attacks against America.

If that seems like a stretch, consider that an entire country – Estonia – has already been victimized by a cyber attack in 2007 that manipulated infrastructure, defaced web sites, shut down communication and disrupted banks.

Business and government managers need not panic because these threats exist. Smart, “reasonable techniques” can protect our information infrastructure.

Maryland is squarely in the middle of a new national cyber security effort — a role that our state, with its abundance of IT talent, university resources and federal facilities, is well-suited for, says economic and business development Secretary Christian Johansson.

Nevertheless, vulnerabilities remain in Maryland’s corner of cyberspace. Stan Nolan, cyber-security lead at Nolan Technologies in Columbia, suggests that a state “computer emergency response team” be created to assess cyber threats to Maryland business and government and develop approaches to mitigate them.

“If Maryland is going to be the cyber center of excellence, than we’d better have our act together in protecting our own industries,” says Nolen.

Sounds like an idea worth exploring in these information-driven times.

For the Regional Business Report, this is Don Fry, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee, for 88.1 WYPR, your NPR news station.

Upcoming Events

In recognition of Black History Month, join regional business leaders for a conversation about Thurgood Marshall with Larry Gibson, author of Young Thurgood, The Making of a Supreme Court Justice. Gibson’s book describes the environment, people and events that shaped Thurgood Marshall’s attitudes, work habits and priorities in his formative years. The book won a 2013 International Book Award for Marshall’s biography. Gibson, a Professor of Law at the University of … Continue reading →

Join regional business leaders for a conversation with Drew Vetter, Director of the Mayor’s Office on Criminal Justice, about Baltimore City’s plan to reduce crime and improve public safety. When: Thursday, March 8, 2018; 7:30 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. program Where: Greater Baltimore Committee, 111 South Calvert Street, Suite 1700, Baltimore, MD 21202 Cost: $45 This event is open to GBC member companies and employees of GBC member companies. To be eligible for a … Continue reading →